MOTORSPORT UPDATE
Acorn Infinity signs Biagioni for doubled BDC assault Infinity increases sponsorship of team, hopes to challenge for Team Championship Infinity Tyres is increasing its involvement with the Acorn Motorsport team in the 2013 Maxxis British Drift Championship, becoming the title sponsor of the Acorn Infinity Motorsport team. AIM will run double the number of cars this season to four, challenging in all three classes – Semi Professional, Professional and Super Professional – with the goal of improving on last year’s fourth position in the constructor’s table. Ex-Team Japspeed driver Stephen Biagioni, who finished fifth out of 33 competitors in the 2012 series’ Super Professional class helping Japspeed claim the Team Championship, will compete Acorn Infinity Motorsport signing, Stephen alongside founding members Mark “Baggsy” Biagioni, who has competed at the Lappage and Ian Waddington, and new acatop level of British Drifting with Team demy driver in the Semi Professional class, Japspeed for four years Martyn Lowe. Infinity Tyres marketing manager, Clive them with great affection. They showed Mansfield commented: “We are pleased to great faith in me and I hope my performincrease our visibility and support for UK ances and commitment to them during my Drifting and strengthen our partnership time there were appreciated”. Partners Acorn Insurance and Infinity with Acorn Motorsport and the inclusion of Infinity in the team name reflects that. Last Tyres were instrumental in signing Biagioni. year was a promising start to our involve- Acorn stated: “Capturing Baggsy’s signatument in UK Drifting, but we are all now re in only our second year of existence looking forward to the new season, with goes to show how far the team have eager anticipation that we can do even bet- come...” Meanwhile Infinity said it ter in 2013.” was “enthusiastic about Biagioni comBaggsy joining the successmented: “I have ful group of people that every confidence make Acorn Infinity that the team will Motorsport what it is today. do all they can to Their total commitment to provide me with getting the job done and the vehicle and the working to the highest possisupport required to Having sponsored the Acorn Motorsport division in 2012, Infinity ble standards gives us great achieve success in has stepped up to team title partners confidence in supporting the future. They are clearly set up to grow and evolve into an them in 2013 and beyond. The investment even stronger team and I am looking for- in the team is the largest commitment we have ever made in motorsport and this is ward to this fresh challenge. “The team at Japspeed could not have due to their ongoing professionalism and done any more for me in my time there and dedication.” akb I will always look back on my time with
TYRES & ACCESSORIES 3/2013
WWW.TYREPRESS.COM
Dunlop tests BTCC soft compound Dunlop has completed its first test of its new MSA British Touring Car Championship soft compound tyre at Rockingham. In 2013 drivers of NGTC specification cars must use one set of soft compound tyres for one of the three races following a regulation change. Drivers must nominate the race in which they will use the tyres without the knowledge of other drivers’ strategies before Saturday’s qualifying session. Dunlop says the new tyres are constructed using a compound “four steps softer” than the regular tyres and which was developed in prototype endurance racing. Testing at Rockingham last week showed that the tyre met the goals set by TOCA of initially providing a minimum one second per lap performance advantage for the first three to four laps followed by a steady drop-off in performance. The new rules have been designed to add an exciting dimension to the racing with tyre management becoming a fundamental part of race strategy. The soft tyres will be used at nine of the ten BTCC rounds in 2013, the exception being Thruxton where the track is too aggressive to allow the safe use of the soft option. Michael Butler, Dunlop BTCC team leader, said the test had gone well: “Rockingham was a successful first test of the new soft compound tyre at one of the most aggressive circuits. We met the objective of lasting the race distance and all the performance parameters set by TOCA. We will carry out more testing at other circuits when the weather improves to validate the results further.” akb
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